1
as in ripping
to cause (something) to separate into jagged pieces by violently pulling at it
angrily tore the letter to shreds
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in yanking
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
tore the book from his hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hurrying
to proceed or move quickly
she tore out of the room as soon as the phone started to ring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tearing
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Star guard Kyrie Irving hasn’t played all season after tearing an ACL last March.
—Schuyler Dixon, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
But why does there seem to be one narrative that is, most of the time, tearing them down.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The new look comes months after Fieri underwent emergency surgery after missing a set of steps and tearing his quad muscle in half.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Tyreek Chappell missed all but two games in 2024 after tearing his ACL and partially tearing his MCL.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Where, in the springtime, sudden storms send tornadoes tearing through towns, destroying everything in their wake.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
McCoy earned first-team All-SEC recognition last season with four interceptions for the Vols after transferring from Oregon State before tearing his ACL during an offseason training session in January.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
By acting as a biomechanical bridge, soft enough for muscle, strong enough for rigid parts, the tendons eliminate the tearing and detachment problems that have plagued previous designs.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
Star guard Kyrie Irving hasn't played all season after tearing an ACL last March.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Star guard Kyrie Irving hasn’t played all season after tearing an ACL last March.
—Schuyler Dixon, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
But why does there seem to be one narrative that is, most of the time, tearing them down.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
The new look comes months after Fieri underwent emergency surgery after missing a set of steps and tearing his quad muscle in half.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Tyreek Chappell missed all but two games in 2024 after tearing his ACL and partially tearing his MCL.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026
Where, in the springtime, sudden storms send tornadoes tearing through towns, destroying everything in their wake.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
McCoy earned first-team All-SEC recognition last season with four interceptions for the Vols after transferring from Oregon State before tearing his ACL during an offseason training session in January.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tearing
Verb
-
When the Bulls fired Thibodeau in 2015 with two years and around $9 million left on his contract, Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf felt the need to put out a statement ripping his communication skills.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Scammers make their living by ripping people off, so the government agency suggests doing a little sleuthing before going too far or moving too fast.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump did not take kindly to those remarks, responding with threats in Davos before yanking the Board of Peace invitation.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Discouraged home sellers are yanking the for-sale signs out of their front yards.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But one weekend in November, people who would typically be hurrying by, staring down at their phones, stopped.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
-
Butler began hurrying Boise State and pushing up the tempo, which allowed the Broncos to score off several backdoor cuts and slip screens for big dunks and layups at the rim.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.—
Hisham Matar,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
-
Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2024
Verb
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Rene Arturo Lujan, 43, admitted to grabbing two girls on June 18 and June 20, 2024, leading to his arrest roughly two hours after the second kidnapping attempt.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Processing film dailies during on-set production, both speeding the ingest process and enabling quick evaluation of creative options during shooting.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Seconds later, another police vehicle speeding to the scene barrels over the man, the video shows.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Chill Factor Perhaps the most biting statistic of the season so far is the temperature.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With the most recent round of layoffs at Meta, plenty of online commenters have been rushing to declare virtual reality and the metaverse dead.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Video footage verified by The New York Times shows a member of staff rushing to an entrance to the consulate, where an agent appears to have opened the door.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tearing. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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